BEAUMONT — The Bearkats were 23 seconds away from their 2021 spring soccer season coming to a close at the Lamar Soccer Complex, but there was no stop in this team.
 
Sophomore Brooke Jones scored in the 89^th minute, and senior Courtney Pawlik scored the game winner in the in the final minutes of overtime to lead seventh-seeded Sam Houston to a stunning 4-3 victory over second-seeded Lamar in the opening round of the Southland Conference Tournament Tuesday evening.
 
Down 3-0 in the second half, once the Bearkats got rolling there was no stopping them after freshman Landri Townsend got Sam Houston on the board when she scored off a penalty kick in the 52^nd minute.
 
The Kats kept attacking and their efforts finally paid off when junior Danielle Forsyth punched a shot into the net on the left side past diving goalkeeper Nicole Panis off an assist by freshman Katarina Baehren in the 87^th minute to make it 3-2.
 
Once again, Sam Houston turned on the pressure offensively. This time Jones, who is a second-team All-SLC selection, silenced the home crowd when she knocked a header past the keeper to the left-side of the net for the equalizer off an assist by Forsyth in the 89^th minute.
 
Overtime went much like the end of the second half with the Bearkats constantly keeping the Cardinal defense on its heels.
 
Pawlik completed the unbelievable comeback when she floated a header over the outstretched arms of Panis into the top of the net off a cross from Baehren, who placed the ball perfectly in the box, in the 98^th minute.
 
Sam Houston will now face third-seed Abilene Christian in the semifinals Thursday at 7 p.m.